Married alumni plan two endowments to honor their alma mater
It all started with a Halloween party at the Eagles Nest back in 1987. Wendy Risher, a sociology major from New Jersey, dressed as one of the blind mice; Pat Filippone, a business administration major and sports enthusiast from Northern Virginia, went as Gene Simmons from the rock band Kiss. The two hit it off and continued their friendship through senior year, after graduation in 1988, and during their first professional jobs across state lines from each other.
Pat and Wendy married in 1992, followed their passions to explore individual career paths, and raised their daughter, Kelly. Today, that coast-to-coast journey has them remembering their Mary Washington experiences as they finalize plans to pay it forward.
“Mary Washington opened up my world,” says Wendy. “I came from a small school in a small town, and I didn’t even know what sociology or anthropology were until I came here.”
She enjoyed all her classes, working in the dining hall, and being able to play on the women’s field hockey team. “One of the plusses of going to a small liberal arts school is that you are a student before you’re an athlete,” says Wendy. “Overall, I had an outstanding college experience, and I wish everyone could do the same.”
Wendy put her sociology degree to work for the federal government and then in the field of education. She recently completed her 18th year as an elementary school librarian – 14 of those years at the same school in California.
Pat chose Mary Washington after seeing a sign for the James Monroe Museum. “I was always interested in history, especially presidential history, so that piqued my interest,” he says. “Mary Washington was a great size for me, and I really enjoyed the cultural education of living with people from different backgrounds while learning new things.”
Pat majored in business because he was good with numbers, but he credits three Mary Washington professors with having a major impact on his life and career: Patricia Lacey Metzger for accounting, Marshall Bowen for geography, and Otho Campbell for history.
“They all were passionate about the subjects they taught, and they all inspired me,” he says.
While Pat had varied interests in college, he found a way to combine them by working “off the field” on the business side of baseball. His first job in baseball was in Northern Virginia with the minor league team that now is the Fredericksburg Nationals. In 1998, he was recruited to go to California.
Today, he is the president of 7th Inning Stretch, which owns and operates three minor league teams: the Stockton Ports, in Stockton, California; the Everett AquaSox in Everett, Washington; and the Delmarva Shorebirds in Salisbury, Maryland.
“I enjoy going to the ball park, meeting people in person that I read about or watched on TV, and now helping young players get started,” says Pat. “If you can figure it out and achieve it, it’s truly fantastic to make a living in an area that aligns with your passions.”
Pat and Wendy remain connected to Mary Washington, attending reunions when possible and volunteering to advise or speak to students.
Recently they shared their intent to include provisions in their estate plans for two UMW endowments. One will provide resources and services for students at the Simpson Library; the other will support operations at the James Monroe Museum.
“We felt it was important to recognize how our college years and our experiences with libraries and museums contributed to our life and career success,” says Wendy.
Pat agrees, “I made lifelong friends at Mary Washington and have a lot of good memories. I think it’s important to give thanks to the institution that helped both of us get to where we are today.”
For more information about estate planning, contact Jan Clarke at jclarke@umw.edu or 540-654-2064.
– Article by Donna Harter
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